Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Environment and Natural Resources Mark Linscott will co-lead the fifth meeting of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) Environmental Affairs Council (EAC) in Washington, D.C. on January 27, 2011. Environment Ministers from Central America and the Dominican Republic will participate in the one-day meeting.

The meeting will include an afternoon Public Session to discuss implementation of CAFTA-DR Environment Chapter obligations and the Environmental Cooperation Agreement with CAFTA-DR Environment Ministers.

Print press and still cameras are invited to attend the Public Session starting at 2:15 p.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m. Council members will be available for pull aside interviews after 4:05 p.m.

Access time for writers and stills: 1:50 p.m. in the Simon Bolivar room of the Organization of American States Building at the corner of 17th Street and Constitution Ave, N.W.

Media representatives must present one of the following to gain admittance to the Organization of American States Building: (1) a U.S. government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo ID card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying employment as a journalist and an official photo identification (driver’s license or passport).

To date, the United States has dedicated more than $64 million to support environmental cooperation with CAFTA-DR partner countries. The main areas of CAFTA-DR environmental cooperation include strengthening implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, protecting biodiversity, increasing market-based conservation and improving private sector environmental performance.